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Jacques Louis David's Madame de Pastoret and Her Son

2012; American Medical Association; Volume: 14; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Francês

10.1001/archfaci.2012.766

1538-3660

Emily B. Collins,

Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies

Archives of Facial Plastic SurgeryVol. 14, No. 4 Free AccessJacques Louis David's Madame de Pastoret and Her SonEmily B. CollinsEmily B. CollinsCorrespondence: Ms Collins, 12 E 88th St, New York, NY 10128 (E-mail Address: emilybcollins@gmail.com).Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:2 Jul 2012AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Jacques Louis David, during his lifetime, was the most important painter in Europe. He lived through tumultuous upheaval and managed,though not through charm, to continually ride the waves of political change.David was born in Paris, France, in August 1748. His father was killed in a duel when David was a young boy, and his mother, wanting to provide David with an excellent education, sent him to live with his uncles, who were prosperous architects. Even as a boy David knew he wanted to be an artist, which was somewhat of a disappointment to his wealthy, socially elite family. Perhaps because of this, David would make it a life-long priority to uplift the arts from mere craftsmanship to Art. He always thought an artist should be well read and in essence be a philosopher, in order to make the truest art possible.ref-qbe120002-1(p6) When David began his arts education, the first place his family looked for instructors was within. David's mother was a distant cousin of Francois Boucher.ref-qbe120002-2 By the time Boucher was asked to tutor David, he had already been appointed First Painter to the king, Louis XVI. Boucher declined and sent Louis to another artist/instructor. David continued his education and was soon receiving formal training at the Royal Academy, which was located in the former palace of the Louvre. The competition at the Royal Academy was great, and the highest prize for every student was the Prix de Rome. David entered the competition 4 times before finally winning the prize on his fifth attempt.ref-qbe120002-1(p20) While 4 consecutive rejections were not unheard of, these were extremely frustrating for David and may have sown the first seeds of antiestablishment feelings within the artist.On David's trip to Rome he was heavily influenced by the art of the Greeks and Romans. Before the trip David was painting in the rococo style, as were most of his contemporaries. This frothy, lighthearted period of David's work is rarely highlighted, and all of the decorative work he did for homes has been destroyed. His style began to change while traveling in Italy and especially after a visit to Naples. Soon his work reflected this influence, and he developed a Neoclassicist style that became the foundation on which his fame as an artist is based.When David returned from Rome he began his career as a painter in earnest. He worked on portraits of the nobility and the upper class. Several examples of his work were shown in the Royal Academy–approved Salons. The influences of Rome on David were greater than those on his art alone. He was apparently affected by the republicanism championed by the Romans and began to express that in his larger, more public projects.The tide was beginning to turn in France as the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed (July 14, 1789) and the Revolution began. Although David had always painted those individuals whom the Revolution had now turned against, it seems that his liberal politics were well known enough to keep him away from the guillotine. Of course, David not only stayed away from the guillotine but became an active member in the government run by Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins in what would come to be known as the Reign of Terror. David was elected to the National Convention in 1792. His position meant that his was frequently the official signature on documents condemning to death those the Jacobins saw as enemies of the state, even if some of them were his former clients.David's position in the government meant that he often had to make speeches. As David strived to visually communicate with his audiences in the most effective way, his ability to communicate verbally declined. As a child, David was known to have had a speech impediment. In addition, while he was a student he was injured during a fencing match. The injured area developed into a “fleshy, nonmalignant tumor.”ref-qbe120002-1(p31) His speeches were often transcribed and handed out to the audience, which was said to have been necessary for the audience to understand what had been said.As the Revolution continued, David, the artist, also continued to work, although his clients and subjects changed. His work for the government verged on propaganda, and from his paintings to the public spectacles and parades he created, the success and influence of the Republic was always paramount. Women at this time were often used as symbols in works of art, meant to signify admirable qualities such as reason or liberty, as in our own gift from France, the Statue of Liberty. Although there are a few exceptions, women were not expected to portray themselves as politically active (though they played a major role during the Revolution). When a sitter, such as Louise de Pastoret, the woman in the image shown herein, was painted, the most important qualities that needed to be communicated to the viewer were her feminine, nurturing qualities. Madame de Pastoret was a liberal woman of the nobility and a philanthropist (although her husband was a royal supporter). It would be hard to glean any information from the portrait about Madame de Pastoret other than the fact that she is a mother, evidenced by the crib at her side. Despite the fact that Madame de Pastoret was a member of the nobility, she has no finery, no jewels, and the simplest of dresses. This, of course, would have reflected the ideals of the Revolution, when the excesses of the French kings were among the chief complaints of the proletariat. Madame de Pastoret's partially bared breast indicates she is a nurturer of citizens, the ultimate in French womanhood at the time. David might have meant to reveal slightly more about the sitter, but unfortunately the painting is unfinished. The needle is missing from Madame de Pastoret's left hand, and the background is dappled in a way that seems impressionistic to a contemporary audience but in fact has simply not been completed.ref-qbe120002-3(p327) Was the painting not completed because of the political differences between David and Monsieur de Pastoret? Did David intend to impose his own ideals of French womanhood and those of the Revolution on the portrait, or were these ideals held by Madame de Pastoret as well? Because David did not finish the painting and it was among his possessions when he died, we can only assume something went wrong with the commission.David not only survived but thrived during the Revolution, but the days of government by fear could not last forever. Robespierre would be executed, and David would be thrown in jail (narrowly avoiding execution himself). The country needed a new ruler, and before too long Napoleon Bonaparte would be crowning himself Emperor, and David would be there to paint his portrait. Amazingly, although David had been a darling of the Jacobins, he managed to escape the condemnation many of them faced and was again selected as the artist who could best represent the leader of France. It can only be a testament to the skill and intelligence of David that he was able to continue his career and to continue to be the most important artist to the French through the turmoil of the late 18th century. Despite this, David did not live his last days in France. The Bourbons (the royal family that David had helped to oust during the Revolution and that Napoleon kept out during his reign) would seize control of France once again. When this happened, Napoleon was exiled, and so was David. David fled to Belgium, where he would work and live for the rest of his life. Although it was his family's wish to bury him in France, the French government refused to let his body back into the country, and he was buried in a cemetery outside of Brussels. In 1989 the French government was planning a major celebration honoring the 200th anniversary of the Revolution and wanted to finally bring David back to France. The government in Brussels protested that this was “political body snatching,” and permission to move the artist was withdrawn.ref-qbe120002-1(pp317-318) David, the artist who perhaps more than any other is associated with France, forever rests outside of its borders.Jacques Louis David, 1748-1825. Madame de Pastoret and Her Son, mid-1791/mid-1792, 1791-1792. Oil on canvas. 51⅛ × 38 in. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (http://www.artic.edu.aic). Clyde M. Carr Fund and Major Acquisitions Endowment, 1967.228.Financial Disclosure: None reported.REFERENCESLee S. David.. London, England: Phaidon Press Ltd; 1999 Google ScholarCollins EB. The Four Seasons: Winter, by François Boucher.. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2012;14(1):76–77 Abstract, Google ScholarFreund A. The Citoyenne Tallien: women, politics, and portraiture during the French Revolution.. Art Bull. 2011;93(3):325–344 Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 14Issue 4Jul 2012 InformationCopyright 2012 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.To cite this article:Emily B. Collins.Jacques Louis David's Madame de Pastoret and Her Son.Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.Jul 2012.304-304.http://doi.org/10.1001/archfaci.2012.766Published in Volume: 14 Issue 4: July 2, 2012PDF download